Message From Pebble Explains What's Going On With The Android App 2.0

Pebble is arguably one of the best and most popular smartwatches out there currently, and part of that has to do with it's price. For the regular model it'll only cost you $150. Another thing that makes it popular with users though is the customization factor you can give to the watch face. This is achieved through Pebble's app, which just got the refresh and update to version 2.0 for iOS last monday. Some users may have been thinking though, where's the love for Android? It was stated that the app update would be arriving soon but here we are mid week, and still no app. Lead of the software engineering group for Pebble, Kean Wong, took to the Pebble Blog to explain just what's going on with the Android version of the app, and why the update hasn't shown up yet. First things first, it's great to see someone on the development team take the time to reach out to users and give them the run down of what's happening.

So what's the deal? Well partially it breaks down to having to optimize the app update for multiple various versions of the Android OS, you know, the same thing we've heard from many developers, and even OEM's regarding software updates to the OS itself. While it is unfortunate to have to wait as so many users are probably excited to get their hands on the changes, it's a necessary thing to ensure that Pebble can put out the best experience they can for their users. The biggest reason, which ties in to the part about tons of various devices with different versions of the OS, Pebble says that the app is taking a bit longer than they'd hoped due to resources, or lack there of. Kean Wong points out that they have a dedicated and fantastic(but very small) team of Android developers working on the 2.0 version update of the app and they have been doing so for a long time, but to get things to the level of excellency they want to provide for users, it takes time and the talented developers to get the work done, which they just don't have enough of yet to work at the pace they'd like.

There a number of things that have to be taken into account when working with all the different Android devices that are out there, from the javascript environment, to the app store integration, to the user-onboarding process. They simply just don't have enough developers on the team to get things done as quickly as they wanted, and they certainly aren't going to cut corners or compromise the quality of the app just to hit a release window. That's admirable, and hopefully users will be more than understanding with Pebbles reasoning's. Wong also mentions that the Pebble Team has released a developer preview of the 2.0 app, and that any developers working with Android devices and own a Pebble smartwatch should download the app and provide any feedback they can. The Software engineering team at Pebble is also looking to expand and recruit new team members to be part of the Pebble experience. Talented Android engineers should refer to the Pebble "job Site" to take a look. Do you own a Pebble smartwatch? Are you eagerly awaiting the 2.0 update of the app? Let us know what you think of the watch and what you're looking forward to.

Lover of food, craft beer, movies, travel, and all things tech. Video games have always been a passion of his due to their ability to tell incredible stories, and home automation tech is the next big interest, in large part because of the Philips Hue integration with Razer Chroma. Current Device: Google Pixel.